Pupils go wild with words

Throwing Out Perfection, Letting Imagination Lead

Instead, they were building zombie apocalypses, inventing backstories for magical powers, and dreaming up monsters, and courageous heroes, all thanks to a literacy workshop that asks children not to “write right” but to tell it wild.

The occasion was a virtual visit from Gabriel Khan, the 11-year-old co-author of The Adventures of Gabriel, and his mother, Kate Markland, a former clinician and educator who developed the now nationally recognised StoryQuest™framework.

The pair’s work is being hailed as a powerful antidote to falling literacy rates among boys, post-pandemic oracy gaps, and the emotional weight many pupils silently carry from adverse childhood experiences.

Stories That Evolve Together

At the core of StoryQuest™ is a simple but radical premise, creative expression first, correction later.

Pupils begin the process in pairs, one as storyteller, the other as scribe. The storyteller is free to let their imagination run free, describing scenes, characters, and feelings, while their partner captures every idea without judgement.

From there, they work in small groups to “uplevel” each other’s stories, often adding:

• Unspoken details they hadn’t realised were missing

• Backstories for how the world was created (or ended)

• Surprising morals, twists, and emotional turns

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are saved for classroom editing sessions. This frees the children from multitasking, something neuroscience confirms is often overwhelming during creative tasks, and encourages them to see themselves as real authors, not test- takers.

The Impact

For pupils at Beckfoot Heaton, the effect was immediate, and transformative.

Children were celebrated for the originality of their ideas, the emotion in their storytelling, and the bravery of sharing something entirely their own. The classroom buzzed with creativity, freedom, and pride.

Teachers also noted noticeable changes in pupil engagement and collaboration:

"From the very start of the session every pupil was engaged and couldn't wait to get started, pupils felt empowered and that they could use their own voice.

Taking away boundaries of grammatical perfection freed up creativity. Pupils really worked well with their scribe partners, allowing a first draft of their story to be spoken, not written.

Pupils also loved giving feedback and adjusting their planning. I could see throughout the day confidence growing, particularly for previously reluctant writers.

Pupils cannot wait to see their published stories and share them across our school community and beyond."

Claire Light : Quality of Education Leader

And the pupils themselves spoke volumes:

• “I loved being an author today. I got to choose my own ideas and unleash my imagination.”
• “Now my brain feels better after I let my imagination out.”
• “It was amazing, you feel proud and free.”
• “I finally got to make an interesting story. Now I can share it with my family.”
• “It was fun because I got to write what I wanted. I’m hoping I’ll make someone happy if they read my book.”

For many children, these workshops are the first time their voice is been treated as something powerful.

From Literacy to Life Skills

StoryQuest™ is now being delivered in schools across the UK and has been accepted for presentation at the British Psychological Society Conference (2025) and the European Conference on Education (ECE2025).

The programme is also aligned with the national curriculum and will be eligible for teacher CPD accreditation, offering both pupils and educators a way to reconnect with the joy of learning.

It’s particularly relevant in communities impacted by educational disadvantage or trauma, offering a scalable, low-cost way to help children develop the emotional regulation, voice, and confidence that research shows reduces long-term risk.

A Future Written By Children

With growing interest from schools across Yorkshire and beyond, The Adventures of Gabriel is becoming more than a book. It’s a movement, one that gives children back their voice, one wild idea at a time.

Kate Markland, co-creator of StoryQuest™, said: “This isn’t just about literacy. It’s about identity, imagination, and helping children feel seen and safe. When they tell their story, and someone listens, that’s where the healing begins.”

FIND OUT MORE:

Visit: www.theadventuresofgabriel.com